Transaction processing within a retail fueling environment conventionally includes interaction between a customer and a fuel dispenser. The customer typically presses certain keys on a user interface provided on the fuel dispenser to provide input for a transaction. Output is provided to the customer in response by the user interface (typically via a visual display). The customer obtains payment authorization for the transaction by swiping a credit card at the fuel dispenser (also referred to as “pay at the pump”) or communicating with an employee situated at a point of sale (POS) terminal. After authorization is received, the customer dispenses fuel and interacts with the user interface of the fuel dispenser to complete the transaction. An example of such a fuel dispenser interface is the card reader in dispenser (CRIND®) equipped fuel dispenser manufactured by Gilbarco Inc.
There have been efforts to effect payment for various goods and services via mobile devices such as cell phones. Because initial technology was based on proprietary messaging through cell phone networks, “payment roaming” was not possible. Alternative techniques, like that described in U.S. Pub. App. No. 2004/0050648 (incorporated herein in its entirety by reference for all purposes), describe Internet-based payment using a mobile phone able to connect to the internet and a vending machine (“VM”) also connected to the internet. In this regard, at least one action is first taken by the customer to identify the vending machine. For example, the '648 application discloses the concept of a “unique VM identification number,” which the customer keys in on the phone. A central server, connected to both the phone and the VM, acts as clearinghouse and establishes a “virtual connection” between the phone and the VM.
With such a system, the VM identification number needs to be visible on the VM, either in the form of a physical placard or an image dynamically displayed on a digital display that is integrated on the VM. In the latter case, the code can be changed for each transaction, thus providing a unique coupling between customer and device to make the transaction more secure. An alternative way to transfer the VM identification number to a phone is via a bar code (such as a QR code) that also could be dynamically generated and rendered on the VM's display. The bar code would be imaged via a camera integrated into the customer's phone.
Both the manual input of a numeric code and the QR snapshot have certain limitations. In the first case, the number must be short enough to make a manual input reasonable, but this tends to reduce security and number of devices on the network. In the case of QR code with photo camera, the lighting conditions and the actual visibility of the QR code might make an effective, reliable application problematic.